1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a rotary substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate to be processed, such as semiconductor wafer, by using liquid, for example, chemical liquid, pure water, etc. Further, the invention also relates to a rotary substrate processing method for processing the substrate by using the above liquid.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the rotary substrate processing apparatus of this kind, there is known a rotary substrate processing apparatus that includes a rotor capable of holding a plurality of disc-shaped substrates (e.g. semiconductor wafers) parallel with each other. In this rotary substrate processing apparatus, the rotor is provided with holding members for supporting the peripheral portions of the substrates, for example, a plurality of holding rods. Thus, the abutment of the holding rods against the peripheral portions of the substrates enables the rotor to retain them. Each of the holding rods is provided, at its positions in contact with the substrates, with a plurality of guide grooves at regular intervals, which allow the substrates to be retained in stability.
In the rotary substrate processing apparatus constructed above, by spraying liquid (e.g. chemical liquid, pure water, etc.) against the substrates while rotating the rotor at designated revolutions, it becomes possible to eliminate contaminants, such as particles and organic pollutant, resist films, oxidation films, etc. from the substrates uniformly. Additionally, since centrifugal force due to the rotation of the rotor causes the liquid to be blown off, it is possible to dry the substrates.
In the above rotary substrate processing apparatus, however, it cannot produce sufficient effect in accordance with a processing program because the substrates cannot rotate while following the rotor rotating at a high speed.
Additionally, the holding condition between the substrates and the holding rods becomes uneven due to the presence of dimensional errors among the substrates. Therefore, the substrates cannot be processed uniformly, so that there is the possibility of reducing the processing efficiency.
Furthermore, when the rotor begins to rotate or stops its rotation, there is produced, between each holding rod and the substrates, a slip which causes a great abrasion of the holding rods. Therefore, the holding rods have to be exchanged to new ones ahead of time.
Taking the above situation into consideration, an object of the present invention is to provide rotary substrate processing apparatus and method, both of which allow a plurality of substrates to follow the rotation of the rotor certainly thereby to improve the processing efficiency for the substrates and which reduce a slip between the holding member of the rotor and the substrates as possible, thereby to reduce abrasion of the holding member and increase their life spans.
The first feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a rotary substrate processing apparatus comprising a rotor having a holding member for holding a plurality of substrates at intervals and a motor for rotating the rotor, the motor being adjustable in its revolutions, wherein the holding member includes at least one open/close holding rod which moves to open or close the rotor in inserting the substrates into the rotor and a plurality of fixed holding rods for holding the substrates in cooperation with the open/close holding rod, and at least one of the fixed holding rods has a plurality of press members that are moved toward peripheral portions of the respective substrates by centrifugal force due to the rotation of the rotor thereby to press the substrates.
According to the second feature of the present invention, in the rotary substrate processing apparatus of the first feature, the press members have respective fitting holes into which a single support shaft is inserted in common, the press members being adapted so as to be slidable in the circumferential direction of the support shaft.
According to the third feature of the present invention, in the rotary substrate processing apparatus of the first feature, the open/close holding rod includes a press body having a press piece capable of elastic deformation, the press piece being adapted so as to move toward peripheral portions of the respective substrates by centrifugal force due to the rotation of the rotor thereby to press the substrates.
According to the fourth feature of the present invention, in the rotary substrate processing apparatus of the first feature, the open/close holding rod is provided with elastically-deformable holding grooves which are swollen toward peripheral portions of the respective of the substrates by pressure of a fluid supplied to the open/close holding rod thereby to press the substrates.
According to the fifth feature of the present invention, in the rotary substrate processing apparatus of the first feature, the press members have respective fitting holes into which a single support shaft is inserted in common and the press members each comprises a plate body rotatably fitted to the support shaft, the plate body having a press part formed on a circumferential face of the plate body, a weight embedded in the plate body in an eccentric position thereof and a guide groove formed in the plate body, for engagement with a rotation stopper shaft with play, the rotation stopper shaft being arranged to extend in parallel with the support shaft.
According to the sixth feature of the present invention, in the rotary substrate processing apparatus of the fifth feature, each of the press members has at least one discharge groove formed on its surface perpendicular to the support shaft to extend from the center of the support shaft outward.
According to the seventh feature of the present invention, in the rotary substrate processing apparatus of the fifth feature, the plate body is provided with a drain hole which communicates a sliding face of the plate body on the support shaft with the circumferential face of the plate body.
The eighth feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a rotary substrate processing apparatus comprising a rotor having a holding member for holding a plurality of substrates at intervals and a motor for rotating the rotor, the motor being adjustable in its revolutions, wherein the holding member includes at least one open/close holding rod which moves to open or close the rotor in inserting the substrates into the rotor and a plurality of fixed holding rods for holding the substrates in cooperation with the open/close holding rod and the at least one open/close holding rod and/or at least one of the fixed holding rods includes a press body having an elastically-deformable press piece adapted so as to move toward peripheral portions of the respective substrates by centrifugal force due to the rotation of the rotor thereby to press the substrates.
According to the ninth feature of the present invention, in the rotary substrate processing apparatus of the eighth feature, the open/close holding rod includes a press body having an elastically-deformable press piece adapted so as to move toward peripheral portions of the respective substrates by centrifugal force due to the rotation of the rotor thereby to press the substrates.
According to the tenth feature of the present invention, in the rotary substrate processing apparatus of the eighth feature, at least one of the fixing holding rod is provided with elastically-deformable holding grooves which are swollen toward peripheral portions of the respective substrates by pressure of a fluid supplied to the fixing holding rod thereby to press the substrates.
The eleventh feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a rotary substrate processing apparatus comprising a rotor having a holding member for holding a plurality of substrates at intervals and a motor for rotating the rotor, the motor being adjustable in its revolutions, wherein the holding member includes at least one open/close holding rod which moves to open or close the rotor in inserting the substrates into the rotor and a plurality of fixed holding rods for holding the substrates in cooperation with the open/close holding rod, and at least one holding rod of the open/close holding rod and/or the fixed holding rods includes elastically-deformable holding grooves which are swollen toward peripheral portions of the respective substrates by pressure of a fluid supplied to the holding rod thereby to press the substrates.
According to the twelfth feature of the present invention, the rotary substrate processing apparatus of the eleventh feature further comprises a pressure controller which controls the pressure of the fluid supplied to the holding rod.
The thirteenth feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a rotary substrate processing method for processing a plurality of substrates while rotating a rotor having a plurality of holding members for holding the substrates at intervals by means of a motor, the method comprising the steps of allowing at least one of the holding members to press the substrates with centrifugal force due to the rotation of the rotor, and supplying the substrates with a processing liquid during the rotation of the rotor.
The fourteenth feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a rotary substrate processing method for processing a plurality of substrates while rotating a rotor having a holding member for holding the substrates at intervals by means of a motor, the method comprising the steps of allowing the holding member to have a function to change a pressure on the substrates by centrifugal force due to the rotation of the rotor, controlling the rotation of the rotor thereby to strengthen or loosen a holding force of the holding member for the substrates, and discharging a liquid adhering between the substrates and the holding member when loosening the holding force of the holding member for the substrates.
The fifteenth feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a rotary substrate processing method for processing a plurality of substrates while rotating a rotor having a holding member for holding the substrates at intervals by means of a motor, the method comprising the steps of allowing the holding member to have a function to change a pressure on the substrates by fluid pressure, controlling the fluid pressure thereby to strengthen or loosen a holding force of the holding member for the substrates, and discharging a liquid adhering between the substrates and the holding member when loosening the holding force of the holding member for the substrates.
Hereat, the term xe2x80x9clooseningxe2x80x9d means weakening a holding force of each holding member for the substrates thereby to define a slight gap between each substrate and the holding member.
According to the present invention characterized by the first, third, fourth, eighth and the ninth features, since at least one of the fixed holding rods for holding the substrates in cooperation with the open/close holding rod, has the press members moving toward peripheral portions of the respective the substrates by centrifugal force due to the rotation of the rotor or the press body having the elastically-deformable press piece adapted so as to move toward peripheral portions of the respective substrates by centrifugal force due to the rotation of the rotor, it is possible to make the substrates follow the rotation of the rotor certainly. Thus, it is possible to enhance the rotating accuracy of the substrates, thereby improving both processing efficiency and reliability of the apparatus. Additionally, since the slip between the holding member of the rotor and the substrates is reduced, it is possible to reduce the abrasion amount of the holding member, whereby the exchanging cycle of the holding member can be extended while increasing the life span of the apparatus.
According to the present invention characterized by the third, eighth, ninth and the tenth features, since the open/close holding rod for holding the substrates in cooperation with the fixed holding rods has the press body having the elastically-deformable press piece adapted so as to move toward peripheral portions of the respective substrates by centrifugal force due to the rotation of the rotor, it is possible to make the substrates follow the rotation of the rotor certainly. Thus, it is possible to enhance the rotating accuracy of the substrates, thereby improving both processing efficiency and reliability of the apparatus. Additionally, since the slip between the holding member of the rotor and the substrates is reduced, it is possible to reduce the abrasion amount of the holding member, whereby the exchanging cycle of the holding member can be extended while increasing the life span of the apparatus.
According to the present invention characterized by the eleventh feature, since the open/close holding rod and/or at least one holding rod of the fixed holding rods includes elastically-deformable holding grooves which are swollen toward peripheral portions of the respective substrates by pressure of a fluid supplied to the holding rod, it is possible to make the substrates follow the rotation of the rotor certainly. Thus, it is possible to enhance the rotating accuracy of the substrates, thereby improving both processing efficiency and reliability of the apparatus. Additionally, since the slip between the holding member of the rotor and the substrates is reduced, it is possible to reduce the abrasion amount of the holding member, whereby the exchanging cycle of the holding member can be extended while increasing the life span of the apparatus.
According to the present invention characterized by the fifth feature, since the press members each comprises the press part formed on the circumferential face of the plate body rotatably fitted to the support shaft through spacers and the weight embedded in the plate body in its eccentric position, it is possible to certainly make the press members press the peripheral portions of the substrates by centrifugal force due to the rotation of the rotor. Additionally, it is possible to make the substrates follow the rotation of the rotor certainly and also possible to reduce the slip between the holding member of the rotor and the substrates. Again, since each of the press members is provided with the guide groove for engagement with the rotation stopper shaft with play, the rotation stopper shaft being arranged to extend in parallel with the support shaft, it is possible to define a rotational range of the press member between its pressing position and the non-pressing position. Therefore, it is possible to allow the press members to follow the rotation of the rotor and also press the peripheral portions of the substrates quickly. In this case, as the present invention characterized by the sixth feature, by forming one or more fluid discharge grooves on each press member""s surfaces in contact with the spacers, the fluid discharge groove extending from the center of rotation and opening to the outside, it is possible to discharge liquid, particles, etc. adhering between the press members and the spacers.
According to the present invention characterized by the thirteenth feature, the processing liquid is supplied to process the substrates while pressing them by at least one of the holding members with centrifugal force due to the rotation of the rotor. Therefore, if rotating means for rotating the rotor at high speed, then it is possible to strengthen a holding force of the holding member thereby to make the substrates follow the rotation of the rotor certainly. Then, it is possible to process the substrates in accordance with a designated processing program uniformly.
According to the present invention characterized by the fourteenth feature, the holding force of the holding member for the substrates can be strengthened or loosened by controlling the rotation of the rotor. Therefore, if rotating means for rotating the rotor at high speed, then it is possible to strengthen the holding force of the holding member thereby to make the substrates follow the rotation of the rotor certainly. Conversely, by rotating the rotor at low speed, it is possible to loosen the holding force of the holding member thereby to eliminate the liquid adhering between the substrates and the holding member. Thus, by controlling the rotation of the rotor, it is possible to carry out different process on the substrates continuously and also possible to improve the quality of the substrates as products.
According to the present invention characterized by the twelfth and fifteenth features, the holding force of the holding member for the substrates can be strengthened or loosened by controlling the fluid pressure. Therefore, if raising the fluid pressure, then it is possible to strengthen the holding force of the holding member thereby to make the substrates follow the rotation of the rotor certainly. Conversely, by lowering the fluid pressure, it is possible to loosen the holding force of the holding member thereby to eliminate the liquid adhering between the substrates and the holding member. Thus, by controlling the fluid pressure, it is possible to carry out different process on the substrates continuously and also possible to improve the quality of the substrates as products.